Kerry Washington, star of ABC’s primetime drama Scandal, has produced one amazing Vanity Fair cover. On the cover she emulates her character, Olivia Pope, as she basks in a pool. Olivia Pope apparently goes for a swim whenever she is stressed out.
Washington says that one of the most interesting things that she finds about her character is the demographic that it appeals to. She says she has white women come up to her all the time and tell her that they want to be Olivia Pope.
Scandal is a hit all over the world. In South Africa it is called “The Fixer” and appeals to all races and many different ages. She says it is really profound that the show has such an impact on others and that people are seeing this leading character as someone they can aspire to. She believes that this is remarkable because the leading lady is someone of color.
Thanks to television, the fact that other women are aspiring to be someone of a different color seems almost revolutionary. And it is not just about her race either; it is the fact that she is a woman, a strong and confident one at that, and people are looking up to her and wanting to be her.
Washington says that her character has a hard exterior, but she is also a motherly type and has a soft interior. She states that Olivia fully owns being a woman but also has a very nurturing nature about her and is willing to take care of others. She is a mother, an executive, a role model for women of all ages and all colors.